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View Winners → ADvocate Jan 12, 2022
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You’ve finally done it, you launched a new business. Once the ink dries on those official incorporation papers, you might just be hit by an anti-climatic wave of no customers. Fear not, as this is an entirely normal experience with new businesses. The first few months (or years) after your launch might feel like you are trying to gain traction driving an 18,000 ton locomotive uphill. Battle this discouragement by taking the steps to promote your new business within your community and online. These eight marketing ideas are sure to boost your business credibility and keep customers coming back for more.
8 Ways to Promote Your New Business
1. Create Social Media Profiles
You cannot promote your business if you have no online presence. Creating virtual profiles for your company gives you the credibility you need in order to set your marketing initiatives up for success. Before you delve too deeply into your digital strategies, take the time to create intentional social media pages for your business. Utilize your brand manual to source logos and color schemes for continuity across platforms. It is also ideal to have a decent-sized content bank before you push traffic to your pages. Once you launch your accounts, you should have several posts queued up and ready to post.
2. Register Your Business Profile Online
Online marketing is all about optimizing your content for maximum traction and viewership. When you work with the algorithm and educate yourself on proper practices, you position your business for the most success in this regard. Register your company on Google with a My Business Account. This allows for geo-specific search queries for local consumers. As a Google registered business, you can also source customer reviews, which boost your business credibility. Set your corporation as a business on all social platforms as well, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
3. Utilize Email Marketing
Email marketing is an accessible business-conscious method of promotion. Through this venue, you have the opportunity to mass market vital company initiatives and reiterate why customers should utilize your services. This foundational marketing tool provides the most consistent and long-term success rates for your target audience. To begin building your email marketing audience, keep detailed logs of your existing customer contact information (including their current email address). Additionally, offer a “join our email newsletter” prompt on your website to encourage virtual visitors to sign up.
4. Write Blog Posts
In tandem with email marketing campaigns, you want to provide value to your target audience. Why should potential customers sign up for your newsletters, visit your website, or seek out your services? (Hint: you have a valuable skill to share with the community). Hone your field of expertise by developing valuable content for consumer benefit. Your website should have a resources or blogs category that stays up to date with relevant expert knowledge (created by you, the expert).
5. Podcast Ads
As a podcast listener, those 30 to 60-second ads might be the worst part of your daily audio entertainment. However, as a business owner, these seamlessly integrated advertisements are prime real estate for getting your brand name out there. Unlike digital pop-up ad graphics and frustratingly unskippable YouTube commercials, podcast ads are short promotional snippets that the show host inserts into their program at their discretion. In other words, the consumers are already in an information-absorbing headspace when these ads surface. Listeners also trust their podcast creators, which means they are more likely to trust the brands they endorse.
6. Ask for Customer Referrals
Your business integrity can only go so far if you are the only one talking about it. Customers today are knowledgeable about their needs and expectations. This hyper-vigilant clientele sets the bar high for brands and demands a trustworthy and attentive business owner.
Online reviews and word-of-mouth referrals are both excellent ways to boost your business standing within the community. It is an unfortunate reality, that clients are much more likely to write a review if they are dissatisfied with services. You can generate the most positive experience possible for your clientele, and they simply just don’t think to write a good recommendation. Don’t be afraid to ask for a Google or Yelp review from your customers for your new business.
7. SEO Optimize Your Site
Not only do you need a website and social media presence, but your platforms must be well-maintained and SEO optimized. Google ranking criteria is becoming increasingly geared towards easy-to-use web pages with lower bounce rates. These search positions correlate closely to your web visibility and reach, so take the steps to register with Google Business, have a user-friendly website, use relevant keywords in your content, and add backlinks whenever possible. All of these factors contribute to the SEO success of your digital marketing initiatives.
8. Offer Regular Promotions
As you promote your new business, think about incentivization whenever possible. Offering discounted services and seasonal deals gives potential customers extra enticement to try your services. Advertise these promotions via paid social media campaigns and in your routine email newsletters.
